Chapter 15: Popo (2)

Men are born with the nature of extreme yang.

Women are born with the nature of extreme yin.

From birth, people possess an advantageous energy based on their gender.

“Oh! A body of radiant yang!”

“However, it’s a pity she’s a girl. If she had been born a boy, she could have ruled the world.”

Hong Seolhwa.

Despite being a woman, she was born with the constitution of extreme yang.

“Her bone structure is excellent too. Truly… if she were a man, the moment she became a superhuman, she would have been a candidate for the Ten Heavens.”

“Master Hong must feel disappointed.”

These were stories she had heard countless times since childhood.

If only you were a man.

It’s a shame you were born a woman.

Your father must be heartbroken.

“No. Dad said he was thrilled when I was born.”

Among them, the most unbearable story was the one about her father being disappointed that she was born a girl.

As a child, she didn’t believe it.

But then…

“It’s a bit regrettable that our Seolhwa wasn’t born a boy… If she could have fully unleashed her innate abilities, she could have been the pillar of the Hongryeon Clan…”

She overheard her father, intoxicated, subtly revealing his true feelings.

“…!”

That was the moment.

The moment she became obsessed with training.

A day.

A month.

A year.

Ten years.

Time passed relentlessly, and the world changed.

The power of the Radiant Yang Body was extraordinary.

Though she endured grueling hardships and relentless training, the fact that she, a woman, became one of the top five superhumans in South Korea was largely due to that power.

“Well done… Truly well done… My daughter!”

Her father now beamed at her with pride.

That was enough.

It felt like all the rewards for her efforts had been received.

But that happiness was short-lived.

Cough.

A handful of blood spat from her mouth.

Her body, which had rapidly amplified the energy of extreme yang, had begun to lose balance at some point.

The blood she coughed up was a sign that her body was starting to collapse.

It was a tragedy.

If she had been born with the <Cold Moon Body> instead of the <Radiant Yang Body>, she might have rivaled even Eden Carter, the greatest among the Ten Heavens.

“Ah…”

Her body ached and burned.

The pain felt like her brain was being cooked.

She endured the excruciating agony of her organs seemingly burning away.

Days where she couldn’t sleep without painkillers became frequent.

Her breathtaking beauty, which could make even birds fall from the sky, began to wither sickly.

“Is this… the end?”

As the end of her life came into view, everything felt meaningless.

Chronic lethargy.

She gradually lost all expression.

Then, one day…

“Master, an invitation from Chef Ahn has arrived. I hope… you’ll have a proper meal after so long.”

Hong Kanghyun.

Her uncle and the spiritual pillar who had stood by her side for so long.

He handed her an invitation from Ahn Jaeseong.

She didn’t want to go.

But out of respect for Hong Kanghyuns efforts, she went.

She had no great expectations.

How good could the food possibly be?

But then…

“…!”

The moment she tasted a dish called The Garden of the Moon, her sense of taste awakened profoundly.

That wasn’t all.

The runaway train of her extreme yang energy faltered and came to a halt.

She rediscovered hope.

After the meal, she sought out Ahn Jaeseong.

“The ingredients were obtained from someone called the Archmage Emperor.”

The Archmage Emperor?

A nickname she had never heard before.

She encountered him for the first time on the SuperNet.

……….

[Archamge Emperor]: Hello, Spicy Nuclear Punch. This is Archmage.

…..

A gentlemanly tone, unlike the domineering nickname.

…..

[Archmage Emperor]: If you give me one White Sun Herb, I’ll send you three Lunadrias in return.

…..

A demeanor that could’ve sought excessive profit but chose not to.

…..

[Archmage Emperor]: No, this is enough. If you feel it’s insufficient, you can take your time and send more later when you’re feeling better and have the means.

……….

A thoughtfulness that shows care and concern for others.

In that moment, she saw Archmage Emperor as nothing less than an angel.

Tears of gratitude welled up and fell, dripping onto the back of her hand.

She owed Archmage Emperor an immeasurable debt of kindness.

“I will definitely repay this kindness.”

She was someone who carved gratitude into stone and grudges into water.

And so,

Right here,

Right now,

To cast off this wretched curse…

Just a little more strength… just a little more…!

Kwaaaaaaa!!!

Her will finally reached the budding flower, and new possibilities began to bloom.

A radiant golden light enveloped her entire body.

It was the blessed light seen only in those who attempt to break through their limits.

LV 80.

The Wailing Wall.

A realm permitted to only ten people in the entire world.

Her fully blossomed potential began to challenge that great boundary!

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have reached Level 80!]

Hong Seolhwa.

Twenty-five years old.

On an evening tinged with the red glow of the sunset.

The eleventh person in the world, and the first in South Korea.

To break through the Level 80 barrier.

“Ma, Master!”

“Oh my God!”

“Oh, thank you!”

And then,

As the news spread,

The world turned upside down.

***

“Hm?”

I tilted my head at the flood of notifications coming from SuperNet.

Why were alarms pouring in all of a sudden?

I checked the recent post I’d made.

A post about selling potatoes and sweet potatoes.

There were countless comments attached to it.

No, even now, they were piling up in real-time.

………

[SkyFox]: I’ve come to pay my respects at this holy land.

[WhaleKing]: Whoa, is this the person mentioned by the Eleventh Heaven?

[ILoveHongSeolhwa]: Thank you, Lord Ma! ㅠㅠㅠ

[Kukudas]: Are you selling any more crops or spirit herbs right now???

[Epokuta]: Please sell some spirit herbs~~~~ I really want to buy them.

[SeoIrae]: Huge, huge, HUGE! I knew this person was the real deal!

[TastyTang]: Ahem; it’s legit. I apologize for doubting you before.

[FireKatsu]: …

………

“What’s all this?”

Holy land?

Eleventh Heaven?

And people asking me to sell them crops or spirit herbs.

I had a gut feeling that something big had happened related to the crops or spirit herbs I’d sold.

“If it’s this kind of commotion… it could only be Hong Seolhwa.”

Sure enough, a private message had arrived from her.

………

[SpicyNuclearFist]: Hello, Archmage Emperor-nim. I don’t even know how to begin expressing my gratitude.

Thanks to the Taiyin Yang Essence you sold me, I was able to successfully correct the imbalance in my body that had caused me so much suffering for so long.

And astonishingly, I reached Level 80, the wall of demons, and ascended to a new realm.

The reason I could reach Level 80… (omitted)… is entirely thanks to your kindness, Archmage Emperor-nim.

(omitted)… I owe you a debt of gratitude I may never be able to repay in my lifetime.

I am truly, truly grateful. I will always keep your intentions in my heart and strive forward. Thank you so much.

P.S. I’d love to have a deep conversation with you sometime soon. Would you have any time available?

………

A heartfelt, lengthy message.

She poured her sincerity into it.

“Oh, that’s great.”

I had a feeling it would work out.

It really seems like the Tai Yin Yang Essence I created here solved her issue neatly.

Thanks to that, she apparently broke through to level 80.

Was it her talent that was special?

Or was it the elixir I created here that was exceptional?

‘If it’s the latter………’

Gulp.

I swallow hard.

This Dragon Lair was already invaluable beyond measure, but from now on, it will become a place of even more immeasurable and supreme worth.

“Keuh. And this means I might even reach Level 80 just with elixirs.”

The realm known as the Ten Heavens.

“Now that Hong Seolhwa is included, it’s become the Eleven Heavens, I guess. Should I call it the realm of Eleven Heavens now?”

But what’s this about having a private conversation?

Anyway, since I’m free anytime, I just left her a message to let me know when it’s convenient for her.

At any rate, I’ve clearly figured out why my post caused such a commotion.

If I hadn’t blocked private messages, I probably would’ve learned firsthand what a real message bomb looks like.

Even now, with notifications coming in nonstop, I turned them off completely and stood up from my seat.

“All right, I can’t just sit around.”

“Popo?”

Popo responded to my words, tilting its head in curiosity.

“It’s time to get to work!”

“Popo!”

As I raised one hand and declared it, Popo started hopping up and down excitedly.

“Time to plant the Immortal Peach.”

Hehe.

The seed of the Immortal Peach she brought back.

What would happen if I planted it in the Dragon Lair?

Especially in the fertile ground that Popo enriched?

Just like when I instinctively knew that giving Hong Seolhwa the <Tai yin Yang Essence> could heal her body…

I have a powerful feeling again this time.

A strong hunch that the imagined, mythical Immortal Peach might actually grow here.

Rustle rustle.

I dug a hole in the ground just deep enough, planted the seed, and gently covered it.

Squeeze—!

I squeezed out the leaf of the Clearwater Herb to water the seed one last time and completed the process.

“Grow well.”

With that final wish.

The result should show itself soon.

Then I moved over to where the spirit herbs were growing.

Why?

To make more <Tai Yin Yang Essence>.

I gave all of it to Hong Seolhwa earlier, so I don’t have any left.

Every time my stamina drops, I’ll take a sip and grind levels diligently.

And I’ll help Dania level up too, so she can hatch sooner.

Ah! But what level do I need to unlock the second Guardian?

And the second passage, too.

I have a feeling Level 20 might be the threshold.

So first, let’s make the <Tai Yin Yang Essence>.

“I’ll start with the White Sun Herb… huh?”

I stopped in my tracks as I approached the White Sun Herb.

Why?

Half of them had turned yellow and wilted.

“What… what the heck?”

Looking closer, it was the very herbs I had sprinkled <Tai Yin Yang Essence> on earlier that were now withered.

No way…

Was the energy too strong?

Looks like I used way too much of the essence.

“Lunadria… and Clearwater Herb too… even the potatoes and sweet potatoes.”

All the same.

They’d all turned yellow and wilted.

At this rate, they might completely rot by tomorrow.

“Sigh… I really messed up.”

I scratched the back of my head.

This was a disaster caused by greed.

I should have tried a few drops at a time to observe the reaction, but I went and poured it on carelessly…

“I’m sorry, guys.”

I murmured bitterly as I looked at the dying herbs and crops.

I’ll probably need to pull all of them out and replant.

I reached out to start pulling up the wilted ones—

“Popo!”

Hop hop!

Suddenly, Popo jumped in front of me.

“Popopopopo—!”

With a face like -_- it kept hopping repeatedly.

What the…?

Is it telling me not to pull them out?

“Why? All right, I won’t pull them.”

As I withdrew my hand, it returned to its usual cheerful expression.

“Popopopopo!”

It was the same gesture I saw just before Dania was about to embrace something earlier.

“Withered ones… you’re going to embrace them?”

“Popopopo!”

At my words, Popo nods enthusiastically.

“Alright, give it a try.”

As soon as I gave my permission,

Popo leaped onto the wilted white poplar plant and hugged it tightly.

And then,

A miracle happened.

Paaaaah!

A light mixed with green and brown hues.

That light enveloped the wilted white poplar.

Tssst.

The leaves, which had turned yellowish, began to regain their vibrant green color.

Tssst, tssst.

The dried-up petals started to come back to life.

Tssst, tssst, tssst!

The drooping flower buds began to stand tall and firm once again.

It was as if time itself was reversing—a miraculous moment!

“Wow…”

That’s when I realized.

Popo’s ability wasn’t limited to what it had shown so far.

And the ability Popo was displaying now was truly, astonishingly powerful.

“This is practically on the level of Recovery.”

The absolute healing magic of the 9th tier, something that only existed in legends.

Could it be a power comparable to that magic?

“Popo! Popo!”

Watching Popo, who was now making a ^_^ expression and bouncing around after reviving the white poplar, I swallowed hard.

A sudden thought flashed through my mind.

“Hey, Popo, don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Popo?”

“Could you… maybe let me take a piece of your flesh?”

“Popo?”

At my words, Popo’s expression seemed to say, “!”—a look of utter shock.

0_0.